Doctor Who Season 10 Episode 7 Review

As with the previous episode, there’s much more theme than there is plot here. After last week matrix inspired type theme, ‘Pyramid’ picks up new subjects and crafts them into a nightmare: the thin line between fear and love. The Monks’ pathological need for consent for their invasion is more than just a gimmick to enhance their unsettling villainy. This is an open door to what our emotions drive us to do when rational fact doesn’t seem to be enough.

Bill’s final choice, between an ailing Doctor and the entire world, is a fantastic emotional peak for the episode. Imagine the sonic sunglasses failing to work for a simple number dial when they’ve worked for clocks and other detailed objects throughout the episode, and those inconsistencies do weigh down the moment a little. But those final moments stand up on their own two feet anyway, thanks to Pearl Mackie’s terrific performance that reveals her, once more, to be the heart of the episode.

To save the Doctor above all. It’s here, it seems, where Bill finally affirms her commitment to the Doctor as so many companions have done before her, putting the entire fate of the world in his hands in the biggest gamble imaginable. The ending of ‘Pyramid’ marks the third cliffhanger on the bounce, and it’s an incredibly intriguing one in spite of its relative predictability.